April 15 to 19, 2012 Standard Chartered Bank

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The call money rate hovered around the range of 15 per cent to 16 per cent through the first part of the last week, but stabilised at 15 per cent at the end of the past week. The liquidity scenario was stable in the market.
US dollar/ Bangladesh taka rate fluctuated throughout the week while the liquidity scenario in the market remained moderate.
Higher Spanish borrowing costs dragged the euro down Friday, pulling the single currency to a second straight weekly loss against the dollar and the yen as the European debt crisis and slower-than-expected Chinese growth worried investors.
The euro fell broadly Monday, dropping to a two-month low against the dollar and the safe-haven yen and reaching a 1-1/2 year trough against the British pound, as Spain rekindled worries about the fragile state of the euro zone economy.
The euro rose to a fresh session high against the dollar while European stocks extended gains and German bund futures fell Tuesday after the German ZEW economic survey beat expectations, offering some respite to the euro zone. The euro fell against the dollar Wednesday after French President Nicolas Sarkozy said a strong euro hurt exporters, and it looked set to stay pressured with investors still wary of Spain's fiscal problems and wider euro zone debt contagion. The euro retreated from a session high against the dollar on Thursday after Spain auctioned two- and 10-year bonds with good bid to cover ratios, paring gains as the auction failed to alleviate concerns about Spain's long-term fiscal outlook.
Sterling stayed close to a three-month high against the euro and a 19-month peak on a trade-weighted basis Friday, continuing to benefit as investors seek refuge from the euro due to euro zone sovereign debt problems.
Sterling rose to its highest in 19 months against the euro Monday and was poised for more gains as concerns about budget problems in Spain caused Spanish borrowing costs to jump and prompted investors to seek alternatives to the common currency. Sterling rose against the dollar Tuesday after data showed UK inflation ticked up as expected in March, and solid demand at a Spanish bill auction provided some relief for investors concerned about the escalating euro zone debt crisis.
Sterling eased against the dollar Wednesday, with some in the market gearing up for dovish minutes from the Bank of England's latest monetary policy meeting which could revive speculation of more monetary stimulus in coming months. Sterling extended broad-based gains Thursday as investors pared back expectations of further stimulus from the Bank of England, putting the currency firmly on track to rise against the euro to levels not scaled since mid-2010.
The euro hit a fresh session high against the Swiss franc Friday, taking the euro zone single currency slightly farther from the 1.20-franc floor imposed by the Swiss National Bank. Moving in tandem with the euro, the Swiss franc slipped against the dollar, as soaring bond yields in Spain reignited worries about the euro zone's ability to tackle its debt crisis.
The Swiss franc tracked the euro down against the dollar Tuesday ahead of a Spanish bond auction and amid anticipation the Swiss government will decide this week on the new composition of the central bank's board.
The Swiss franc was slightly weaker Wednesday ahead of the expected naming of a new permanent central bank head and after a shift back to risk currencies after a well-received Spanish debt auction and an upbeat German sentiment survey.
The Swiss franc was steady against the euro and the dollar in cautious early trading Thursday ahead of a key Spanish bond auction seen as a litmus test of investor risk appetite as worries begin to re-emerge over the euro zone debt crisis.